Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted (2022)
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted is a documentary that focuses specifically on the man, rather than the shows that he created. If you are more interested in the latter then you would be better off watching Filmed in Supermarionation (2014), which provides a comprehensive overview of all productions, wrapped in a cosy blanket of nostalgia and fandom. Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted offers a more challenging viewing experience due to its honesty and candour. Gerry Anderson had a difficult childhood and suffered a bereavement early in life. During the course of this 88 minute exploration of his life it becomes clear that these traumas both drove his creativity as well as marred his own personal life. Furthermore, this documentary is also about a son looking for answers, as Jamie Anderson attempts to learn more about his father’s past.
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted is a documentary that focuses specifically on the man, rather than the shows that he created. If you are more interested in the latter then you would be better off watching Filmed in Supermarionation (2014), which provides a comprehensive overview of all productions, wrapped in a cosy blanket of nostalgia and fandom. Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted offers a more challenging viewing experience due to its honesty and candour. Gerry Anderson had a difficult childhood and suffered a bereavement early in life. During the course of this 88 minute exploration of his life it becomes clear that these traumas both drove his creativity as well as marred his own personal life. Furthermore, this documentary is also about a son looking for answers, as Jamie Anderson attempts to learn more about his father’s past.
Gerry Anderson was born Gerald Alexander Abrahams in 1929. His secular Mother Deborah was frequently at odds with her Jewish husband Joseph and hence Gerry’s most formative years were blighted by the acrimonious and dysfunctional marriage of his parents. He was also subject to antisemitic abuse during his early school days which eventually led to his mother changing his surname by deed poll. Gerry idolised his older brother Lionel and always felt in his shadow. When Lionel died in a plane crash during World war II, Gerry was devastated. Needless to say these emotional issues both motivated and plagued him throughout his life. Gerry strove to escape the poverty of his youth and be successful. His scripts often featured strong father figures and absent mothers. His workaholic nature meant he often became estranged from his own family. He also struggled to maintain friendships beyond business.
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted offers a broad spectrum of views and opinions. There is both old and new archive footage of Gerry talking quite candidly about his relationship with his parents, his failings as a parent and the deterioration of his marriage to Sylvia. It doesn’t always make for comfortable viewing but it is very credible and human. Contrary views are also aired from those who worked with him such as Roberta Leigh and three of his four children contribute in an equally candid fashion. From Gerry’s perspective, despite all his hard work he never seemed to reconcile himself to his success. He also felt that Sylvia over-stated her contribution to the success of AP Films and Century 21 and it is clear that he felt taken advantage of. Despite becoming successful and then subsequently losing it all, he eventually found happiness and stability with his third marriage to Mary Robbins.
A key part of Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted is its focus on Gerry’s struggle with dementia during the last few years of his life. It is a very personal account recounted from the perspective of son Jamie and mother and wife Mary. It will resonate with anyone who has first hand experience of a loved one succumbing to this condition and many of the anecdotes recounted will have a familiar ring to them. Yet despite the difficulty of dealing with such a debilitating illness, it is fascinating how Gerry managed to use his fame to raise public awareness, as well as £1 million for the Alzheimer's Society in a year. Tragically, when he finally passed away on Boxing Day 2012, Gerry had no memory of his life work or its popularity.
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted takes a gamble by using deep fake technology in order to bring Gerry Anderson back to the screen, thus making the audio interviews more accessible. What viewers are presented with are a series of black and white scenes of Gerry sitting on a sofa talking to an interviewer off camera. The documentary clearly states its use before it begins and its inclusion does not in any way invalidate the authenticity or relevance of the actual audio interviews. Overall, if you wish to understand what drove Gerry Anderson to be so creative and successful, then Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted offers some insight. It also clearly shows the human cost as well. Fans who idolise their heroes may be uncomfortable with Gerry’s open admission of his own personal failings. Those with a capacity to separate their feelings of fandom from their curiosity will be rewarded with an engaging and somewhat melancholic documentary. Just bear in mind that some facts presented remain disputed and that this is documentary is weighted towards Gerry Anderson’s perspective.
Thoughts on Work Part 3
As my caring commitments are now over, I find myself in the “interesting” position of being 54 years old and potentially returning to the job market. I use the phrase “potentially” because I am fortunate enough to have a financial safety net in place, so it is not as if I have to find gainful employment immediately. So there is no pressing requirement for me to claim Universal Credit and find work via the UK social security system, which is most fortunate. The DWP has a policy of actively pressuring benefit claimants into accepting any kind of work, irrespective of skills, after a few weeks as part of a policy of trying to keep the employment number low. I have no intention of going down that route and so will look for work in my own way and on my own terms.
A spoof résumé, or is it?
As my caring commitments are now over, I find myself in the “interesting” position of being 54 years old and potentially returning to the job market. I use the phrase “potentially” because I am fortunate enough to have a financial safety net in place, so it is not as if I have to find gainful employment immediately. So there is no pressing requirement for me to claim Universal Credit and find work via the UK social security system, which is most fortunate. The DWP has a policy of actively pressuring benefit claimants into accepting any kind of work, irrespective of skills, after a few weeks as part of a policy of trying to keep the employment number low. I have no intention of going down that route and so will look for work in my own way and on my own terms.
Over the years, my attitude towards the entire concept of work has evolved. At my age I am certainly not concerned about a career, nor am I especially concerned about how others perceive my relationship with work. Work is a quid pro quo although lots of employers seem to have forgotten this. I provide skills to undertake a pre-agreed set of tasks and get financial remuneration in return. Anything outside of that is bullshit. Simply put, I am not defined by work or anything like that. It is a means to an end. Nor do I find myself at a loose end without it. I can happily fill my days with activities and occupy myself. However, I cannot officially retire just yet for financial reasons. Hence I need a source of revenue. But it doesn’t need to be a fortune and therefore there are a lot more options available as to how I can earn it.
Spookily enough they had no vacancies for “head of secret police” or “ninjas”
So with all that in mind, I’ve created three new CVs (curriculum vitae/résumé). One with respect to my IT project experience, tailored to contract work. Another has been weighted towards general administrative experience (my time as a civil servant) and the last focuses upon my writing and podcast skills. I have registered with several job websites and have already started looking at what is out there. This has been most illuminating but not necessarily in a good way. I noticed that some job vacancies do not give any information about the salary. Apparently this is common practice in the US and some European countries. Needless to say I will have no truck with it. I am not going to apply for a position, attend an interview and invest valuable time and effort, only to find out that the pay is inadequate. The tail does not wag the dog.
At present I have a three tier plan with regard to employment. Plan A is focused around writing and podcasting. Can I monetise Contains Moderate Peril or can I write for someone else and get paid for it? Possibly. I’m also thinking about some new writing projects and websites that may lend themselves more to monetisation. I may also try to return to technical writing as I did this back in 2015. Plan B is a return to IT contracting. Oddly enough I received a phone call from a recruitment executive recently who still had my details. They reckoned I still had the necessary skills needed to find work, despite being out of the “game” for 6 years. And if the shit hits the fan, then there’s Plan C. This is the last resort where I take any job that covers my expenses. It is not a prospect I relish, working minimum wage for some 27 year old sociopath.
The office twat
I appreciate that my perspective on employment is not something that everyone has the luxury of sharing. Many people do not have savings to give them a degree of independence while they look for work. Your skills and abilities also determine how much say you have in looking for work as well as the kind of work you undertake. Certain jobs simply do not get the respect and recognition they deserve. We briefly paid lip service to this during the pandemic but it soon evaporated once the status quo resumed. At present the job market is weighted in favour of the employer rather than the employee and this does not make for good pay or terms and conditions. The increasing cost of living also means that many jobs no longer provide the financial security that they once may have done. Overall, it’s not the best time to be looking for work. However, regardless of the results, I’m sure the search itself will make a good blog post.
The Capricious Nature of “Lazy Writing”
A little over two months ago I returned to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. I have written recently about how this has been a pleasant experience and I certainly haven’t wanted for content to play through. SWTOR has always offered well conceived and complex stories. This is essentially the MMOs primary appeal to me. Hence I have recently caught up with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, Shadow of Revan, Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne. The episodic nature of the last two expansions have both good and bad points. However, the central story was solid and engaging. However, when I moved on to the next instalment of the main story, everything changed. Essentially, the plot had backed itself into a corner. So the writers took the easy way out and pursued a new storyline that completely invalidated everything that had happened previously. This infuriated me so I’ve stopped playing.
A little over two months ago I returned to the MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. I have written recently about how this has been a pleasant experience and I certainly haven’t wanted for content to play through. SWTOR has always offered well conceived and complex stories. This is essentially the MMOs primary appeal to me. Hence I have recently caught up with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, Shadow of Revan, Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne. The episodic nature of the last two expansions have both good and bad points. However, the central story was solid and engaging. However, when I moved on to the next instalment of the main story, everything changed. Essentially, the plot had backed itself into a corner. So the writers took the easy way out and pursued a new storyline that completely invalidated everything that had happened previously. This infuriated me so I’ve stopped playing.
For those who may not be familiar with SWTOR, the original plot of the MMO focuses on the ongoing war between the Republic and the Sith Empire. The expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire changes this as the Republic and Sith form an alliance against a new antagonist. The idea works well and is sustained over a further expansion, Knights of the Eternal Throne. However, in the following Iokath story line the alliance that you have worked continuously to nurture and sustain is arbitrarily dispensed with, just so the writers can conveniently return to the default situation without having to try hard. During the course of one conversation, I found my character being forced to make a decision to choose whether to support the Sith Empire or the Republic. For want of another phrase, this “lazy writing” pissed on everything that I had invested my time into for the last two months and I found that insulting.
This writing “technique” is not exclusive to video games. It is commonly used in film and TV as a convenient means to bring a narrative back “on track”. In other words, a way to take a story in the direction that you wish to take it, irrespective of whether that invalidates or contradicts what has happened previously. Take the 1992 film Aliens 3. The producers desperately wanted to contrive a situation in which the protagonist, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), once again faced a solitary xenomorph in the hope of recreating the success of the original film. However, Aliens (1986), ended with Ripley safe from peril and given a second chance at motherhood by looking after Newt. There was even a hint at a romance with Corporal Hicks. Faced with such narrative obstacles, the writers for Alien 3 contrived a means for Ripley being impregnated by a facehugger while in suspended animation and a spaceship crash subsequently killed off both Newt and Hicks. Needless to say, the audience didn’t buy it.
What such “lazy writing” demonstrates is that no matter how attached we become to characters and stories in films and video games, they are ultimately products. Video games especially have a requirement to keep players not only engaged but also spending. In the case of SWTOR, dispensing with the “Eternal Alliance” was just a means to quickly get the story back on track, after two somewhat experimental expansions. I’m sure it did occur to writing staff that in doing so they mitigated everything that the player had done over the last two years. However, keeping the player base busy and subscribing was deemed more important. If the game and its business model had been better served by an even more obtuse plot development, no doubt that’s what would have happened. Hence, “enthusiastic sales and marketing” and “lazy writing” often go hand in hand. The former drives the latter, usually to the detriment of the product. In this respect SWTOR is far from unique.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 33 - Yondershire Beta #3
Standing Stone Games have a third preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, available on the Bullroarer test server which ends tomorrow. This latest build includes all stables for the new zone. There are six in total, four of which are based in the Hobbits villages of Gamwich, Tighfield, Nobottle and Long Cleave. The mob population has increased since the last preview and all enemy encampments are now accessible. Most importantly, a map of Yondershire is now available clearly showing how the zone fits between The Shire and Ered Luin. Hence players now have sufficient details to be able to accurately appraise Yondershire which has a challenge level of 20-23. Furthermore, the map of Eriador has also been adjusted to show the new zone.
Standing Stone Games have a third preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, available on the Bullroarer test server which ends tomorrow. This latest build includes all stables for the new zone. There are six in total, four of which are based in the Hobbits villages of Gamwich, Tighfield, Nobottle and Long Cleave. The mob population has increased since the last preview and all enemy encampments are now accessible. Most importantly, a map of Yondershire is now available clearly showing how the zone fits between The Shire and Ered Luin. Hence players now have sufficient details to be able to accurately appraise Yondershire which has a challenge level of 20-23. Furthermore, the map of Eriador has also been adjusted to show the new zone.
This latest beta has been of particular interest to me as there are some significant changes coming to the Lore-master class. My primary character in LOTRO is a Lore-master that I’ve played since 2008. Perhaps the biggest change is the removal of the “Sic’em” trait from the “Keeper of Animals” trait tree. This skill when used summons all Lore-master pets and causes substantial damage to target(s). However, it is a major resource hog and causes lag problems for groups in instance when used. So SSG have decided to retire it and replace it with “A Murder of Crows”. According to the developers this new skill “summons a cloud of crows around the target for 15s. It has a 2 minute cooldown. While they persist the crows inflict enormous damage and disorient their victim, reducing hit chance and increasing the damage of other attacks made against the target. Enemies within 7m of the main target also take constant damage from the cloud of circling avians (but are not debuffed)”.
Class changes are always a source of trepidation for players and it is always difficult to approach such changes in a way that pleases everyone. I remain cautiously optimistic regarding those currently listed on the Official LOTRO Forums. My Lore-master is currently traited for a red line DPS build and so the replacement of “Sic’em” doesn’t especially bother me but I can see how players are attached to the sheer bravado of this skill. I am more intrigued by the statement “damage of LM red line skills and effects in general has been improved” because even at level cap with a robust selection of gear from Steel-bound lootboxes, I still feel a little underpowered at times. So any positive adjustment will be well received by me. With regard to Update 33, it will be interesting to see if there will be a 4th beta test or whether SSG simply go ahead and release the current build.
Classic Movie Themes: Star Trek First Contact
Jerry Goldsmith’s contribution to Star Trek is immense. Yet simply listing the films and TV episodes he wrote music for does not adequately encapsulate the significance of his contribution to the franchise. His majestic, thoughtful and uplifting musical scores provide an emotional foundation that reflects the core ethos of Star Trek. They also create an invaluable sense of continuity that spans multiple shows and movies. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is his iconic title music for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) that was subsequently adopted as the theme tune for Star Trek: The Next Generation. His work was held in such high regard, when Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) ran into production issues, it was thought that a Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack may well elevate the film. Sadly it didn’t but his work on that instalment was outstanding and among his best.
Jerry Goldsmith’s contribution to Star Trek is immense. Yet simply listing the films and TV episodes he wrote music for does not adequately encapsulate the significance of his contribution to the franchise. His majestic, thoughtful and uplifting musical scores provide an emotional foundation that reflects the core ethos of Star Trek. They also create an invaluable sense of continuity that spans multiple shows and movies. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is his iconic title music for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) that was subsequently adopted as the theme tune for Star Trek: The Next Generation. His work was held in such high regard, when Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) ran into production issues, it was thought that a Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack may well elevate the film. Sadly it didn’t but his work on that instalment was outstanding and among his best.
Jerry Goldsmith returned to the franchise in 1995, writing the dignified and portentous Star Trek: Voyager theme. Again this succinctly showed the importance the producer’s of the franchise attached to his work. Then in 1996 Goldsmith wrote the score for Star Trek: First Contact. Again his music demonstrates his ability to imbue the film’s narrative themes and visual effects with an appropriate sense of awe and majesty. Although contemporary in his outlook, with an inherent ability to stay current, Goldsmith had studied with some of the finest composers from the golden age of Hollywood. Hence, there are a few cues from First Contact where the influence of the great Miklós Rózsa are quite apparent and beautifully realised. Fans will argue that his score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is his greatest work in relation to the franchise but I think that the soundtrack for Star Trek: First Contact has more emotional content.
The track “First Contact” which comes at the climax of the film is in many ways the highlight of the entire score. Goldsmith uses English and French horns as Picard and Data reflect upon the nature of temptation after defeating the Borg Queen. When the alien vessel lands and its crew disembarks to make first contact, the melody takes on a profoundly ethereal and even religious quality, especially when the church organ reiterates the theme. This reaches a triumphant peak when it is revealed that the first visitors to Earth are Vulcan. The cue then takes a melancholy turn as Picard and Lily bid a touching farewell. “First Contact” is a sublime six minutes and four seconds which demonstrates why Jerry Goldsmith was such a superb and varied composer. It not only highlights his legacy to Star Trek but also his status as one of the best film composers of his generation.
The Center Seat: 55 years of Star Trek
Star Trek documentaries are very much like Bruce Lee documentaries, in so far as they’re both a saturated market and more often than not, new content frequently ends up covering the same ground. However, fans tend to watch anything new in the hope that they will find a few new nuggets of information. Brian Volk-Weiss’ new 11 part series, The Center Seat: 55 years of Star Trek, not only covers established facts about the iconic show but also expands upon them as well as providing a wealth of new information. Volk-Weiss has previously explored popular culture with documentaries such as The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us. The Center Seat: 55 years of Star Trek is an in-depth chronological study of the Star Trek franchise, from its creation at Desilu Productions in 1965 all the way through to the latest iterations, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery.
Star Trek documentaries are very much like Bruce Lee documentaries, in so far as they’re both a saturated market and more often than not, new content frequently ends up covering the same ground. However, fans tend to watch anything new in the hope that they will find a few new nuggets of information. Brian Volk-Weiss’ new 11 part series, The Center Seat: 55 years of Star Trek, not only covers established facts about the iconic show but also expands upon them as well as providing a wealth of new information. Volk-Weiss has previously explored popular culture with documentaries such as The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us. The Center Seat: 55 years of Star Trek is an in-depth chronological study of the Star Trek franchise, from its creation at Desilu Productions in 1965 all the way through to the latest iterations, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery.
Part of what makes The Center Seat so enjoyable is that the 11 episodes, each running just under an hour, provides adequate time to explore the production history of each show and the various movies. The often overlooked Star Trek: The Animated Series gets an entire episode to itself as do each of the shows from the Rick Berman-era. The analysis of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is especially rigorous and does not shy away from the clash of egos between cast members, as well as the problematic writing process as Gene Roddenberry and Harold Livingston fought over the script. The show also takes the time to discuss the decision to have a title song, rather than a theme for Enterprise and the fact that to date, it still polarises opinion. Perhaps the most significant episode of The Center Seat is the first, which focuses on the importance of Lucille Ball. She used her industry leverage and wealth to get Star Trek made, backing not one but two pilot shows.
However, despite having 11 episodes at their disposal, there is still a lot of content missing from The Center Seat. There is a conspicuous lack of contemporary interviews with William Shatner, Avery Brooks and Scott Bakula. Although there is a lot of footage from all things Star Trek, the licensing arrangements seems to exclude music by any of the composers associated with the shows. It strikes me as remiss to have a documentary about such an iconic show and not mention Alexander Courage’s theme or the subsequent work by Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner. There is also some controversy over the inclusion of at least one Star Trek writer/historian whose accounts of events have been called into question for factual inaccuracies. The show also seems to be selective about which controversies it explores as well as which actors personal problems it focuses upon.
The Center Seat is an entertaining and fairly comprehensive exploration of the Star Trek franchise. This documentary series will probably best suit new fans or those who are not overly familiar with the associated history of the various shows. That being the case then it offers a broad overview and clearly shows that success and popularity is far from a smooth ride. Those who are well versed in the franchise's legendarium will probably be familiar with half or more of the show content. I found a lot of crossover between material in this show and the extras I’ve watched over the years on various DVDs I’ve owned. It is also worth noting that there are two versions of The Center Seat. One is obviously re-edited for syndication, consisting of 10 x 42 minute episodes. This version was shown on The History Channel. Then there is a longer 11 x 58 minute version. I watched the latter and this is the one that I recommend.
![Star Trek Discovery S01E01 The Vulcan Hello.mkv_snapshot_07.19_[2017.09.25_17.54.13].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54e310f0e4b0f4a6ba3ac899/1506359625650-D976K1OBW47HSSSFN2S2/Star+Trek+Discovery+S01E01+The+Vulcan+Hello.mkv_snapshot_07.19_%5B2017.09.25_17.54.13%5D.jpg)
Thoughts on Blogging Part 16
March has been a challenging month for several reasons and as a result I’ve written very little. Furthermore, the recently revived podcast has also ground to a halt after just six episodes due to scheduling issues that are beyond myself and Brian’s control. At the end of February, Google made changes to their search algorithm which have had a major impact upon traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Visits are down by over 20%. I’ll make no bones about the fact that this has really pissed me off. Several years of growth has been unceremoniously swept away at the drop of a hat. So all this, plus the rapidly changing situation regarding my Mother’s care, has found me ill disposed towards writing. To be clear, I’m not talking about writer’s block. I have plenty of ideas and a folder full of draft posts. I just haven’t wanted to write because I feel that I’m just spitting in the wind.
March has been a challenging month for several reasons and as a result I’ve written very little. Furthermore, the recently revived podcast has also ground to a halt after just six episodes due to scheduling issues that are beyond myself and Brian’s control. At the end of February, Google made changes to their search algorithm which have had a major impact upon traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Visits are down by over 20%. I’ll make no bones about the fact that this has really pissed me off. Several years of growth has been unceremoniously swept away at the drop of a hat. So all this, plus the rapidly changing situation regarding my Mother’s care, has found me ill disposed towards writing. To be clear, I’m not talking about writer’s block. I have plenty of ideas and a folder full of draft posts. I just haven’t wanted to write because I feel that I’m just spitting in the wind.
I’ve been writing and maintaining a blog of some kind since early 2007. In 2014, after seven years of writing everyday and building an audience, I secured a sponsorship deal from a hosting company. Maintaining such a schedule and producing a weekly podcast was great fun but hard work. However, the main problem with “free hosting” is that you’re dependent on the goodwill of those that supply it. When the company was bought out, the sponsorship was terminated and I had to find a new home for Contains Moderate Peril. Due to compatibility issues, rather than migrate the existing site I ended up having to start from scratch. Needless to say by March 2016 I was burned out and went on a three month hiatus. During that time I came close to throwing in the towel. I’ve started feeling that way again, recently. Is it all worthwhile or am I just screaming into the void?
But as the expression goes “this won’t buy the baby a new hat”. I have two options open to me at present. I can either continue to be annoyed, not write and subsequently watch years of work wither on the vine. Or I can get back on the horse, drink my milk or whatever the hell John Wayne suggested. Just to clarify, I am opting to continue writing. “Normal service will resume shortly”, so to speak. Which means imposing a bit of discipline upon my writing schedule and ensuring that I write early in the morning when I feel engaged and productive. I’ve also decided to do some experiments with certain types of posts to see if they gain more traction with readers. I have quite a few other ideas but I think I’ll keep them quiet for the present. Best not to promise too much and then fail to deliver. For the present I’ll focus just on writing as often as I can. Focus on what’s ahead, not behind. Oh and fuck you Google.
LOTRO: Bullroarer Update 33 - Yondershire Beta #1
The first preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has been available on the Bullroarer test server for the last three days. The update features the new region of Yondershire which connects the North-west of The Shire with Ered Luin. Yondershire has a challenge level 20-23 and continues with Standing Stone Games recent trend of not just adding level cap content to the game. Yondershire can be reached by travelling West out of Little Delving or North-west out of Needlehole through Rushock Gate. Alternatively, if you are travelling South-east out of Ered Luin then follow the Eastway. If returning from Evendim, travel South-west out of Oatbarton through Bullroarer's Sward. At present a map of the new zone is not available in the current test build. However it is not too difficult to get orientated, due to the way Yondershire neatly fills the gap between The Shire and Ered Luin.
The first preview of Update 33 for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online has been available on the Bullroarer test server for the last three days. The update features the new region of Yondershire which connects the North-west of The Shire with Ered Luin. Yondershire has a challenge level 20-23 and continues with Standing Stone Games recent trend of not just adding level cap content to the game. Yondershire can be reached by travelling West out of Little Delving or North-west out of Needlehole through Rushock Gate. Alternatively, if you are travelling South-east out of Ered Luin then follow the Eastway. If returning from Evendim, travel South-west out of Oatbarton through Bullroarer's Sward. At present a map of the new zone is not available in the current test build. However it is not too difficult to get orientated, due to the way Yondershire neatly fills the gap between The Shire and Ered Luin.
The terrain is very similar to the more temperate Westerly part of Ered Luin and there are also some similarities with The Lone-lands. There are four Hobbit settlements in Yondershire. Nobottle and Tighfield are farming communities set among well tilled fields. Gamwich and Long Cleeve are located within wooded areas. Willows groves and streams also feature in the zone. So far the flora and fauna is comparable to The Shire with Bears, Wolves, Shrews and Flies. Yondershire also features both Arnorian and Elvish ruins, populated by Ruffians or Goblins. There are also roaming bands of Boggarts. Several ruins cannot be directly accessed in this build but this may well change in the future. Yondershire is a large zone which maintains a sense of continuity with The Shire but also manages to feel more rustic and remote. I suspect this is SSG’s intention.
As ever, although I am content to visit new regions that are coming to live servers, I tend not to play any of the associated quests. Hence I cannot comment much on the playable content of Yondershire. However, judging by the amount of domesticated livestock there is roaming around I suspect that there may well be some lighthearted quests involving rounding up various animals. It should be noted that Bingo Boffin offers a quest as you enter Yondershire from Needlehole which appears to send the player straight to Nobottle. Whether this is the start of another adventure for him remains to be seen. So far Yondershire appears to be an large and interesting zone that fits perfectly between the existing regions of Ered Luin and The Shire. Not a bad achievement when you consider that SSG are trying to seamlessly dovetail new material into content that is 15 years old.
LOTRO: Producer's Letter March 2022
According to Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) in his latest Producer's Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, there are some major changes coming in April. These are part of the ongoing restructuring of the game’s monetisation. Previously, in the last content update, the Premium Wallet, Gold Currency Cap, and Virtue, Race, and Class trait slots were made free to all players (prior to this, all were chargeable unlocks). In Update 33, which will be coming in April, “all quests, areas, instances, and expansions released between the original launch of LOTRO back in 2007 and up to – and including! - the release of Helm’s Deep will be available for free to everyone”. Furthermore, subscribers will be able to access the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions.
According to Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) in his latest Producer's Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, there are some major changes coming in April. These are part of the ongoing restructuring of the game’s monetisation. Previously, in the last content update, the Premium Wallet, Gold Currency Cap, and Virtue, Race, and Class trait slots were made free to all players (prior to this, all were chargeable unlocks). In Update 33, which will be coming in April, “all quests, areas, instances, and expansions released between the original launch of LOTRO back in 2007 and up to – and including! - the release of Helm’s Deep will be available for free to everyone”. Furthermore, subscribers will be able to access the standard versions of the Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks expansions.
Another change is that the following classes Rune-keepers, Wardens, Beornings as well as the High Elves race will be free to all players. All were previously tied to the purchase of expansions and as those are now to be accessible free of charge, Standing Stone Games thought it fair to follow suit with these. To put these changes into perspective, from April F2P players will now be able to play through all the games content, at no cost, up to level 95. Players who do not wish to subscribe after level 95 will still have to buy the last three expansions. However, subscribers will be able to play through all of the game’s content, apart from the latest expansion Fate of Gundabad. These changes finally resolve the issue of content gating which has been a major source of complaint from new and returning players for years.
The next update will also see the addition of a new area within The Shire. “The northern region known as the Yondershire, a sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been home to Hobbit recluses and troublemakers. Since the time of Bullroarer Took, the Yondershire has squabbled with the more comfortable parts of the Shire. The upstart Lotho Sackville-Baggins aims to bully the local Hobbits, but they’re none too keen on his designs. Explore the Yondershire, and experience some more delightful Hobbit adventures, our first expansion of the Shire in years”. April will also see the return of the Anniversary Festival as LOTRO reaches 15 years old. A new instance, A Flurry of Fireworks, will be added to the existing events.
These forthcoming changes have been very well received by the LOTRO community. The streamlining of content access and previous changes regarding removing the cost key quality of life items now means that the game is extremely friendly to new and returning players. Many people play MMOs to be with friends and to play through content together. Hence many games such as The Elder Scrolls Online have level scaling content so players of different levels can still play together equitably. LOTRO at present does not have this facility and due to the previous gating of content behind paid expansions, it would often feel that there was a huge gulf separating players from their friends if they were of differing levels. These changes certainly help address this with the prospect of not having to pay for any content up to level 95. It will be interesting to see if there will be an influx of new and returning players in April.
Complex Lore and Enigmatic Themes
I recently watched the first trailer for the new Obi-Wan Kenobi television show that is premiering on Disney + in May. I am interested in this latest instalment in the Star Wars franchise and curious as to whether Liam Neeson will make an appearance. I also watched a 20 minute fan video in which they “analysed” the entire trailer. They discussed the content of this 2 minute preview and then did a great deal of speculating about potential themes and characters that may feature in the show. They were clearly enthusiastic about what they had seen and were very knowledgeable about the subject. This resonated with me, as I like to be well versed about the things I enjoy. However, it is worth remembering that fandom can tip into obsession and gatekeeping. Hence I feel there is a subject to explore here.
I recently watched the first trailer for the new Obi-Wan Kenobi television show that is premiering on Disney + in May. I am interested in this latest instalment in the Star Wars franchise and curious as to whether Liam Neeson will make an appearance. I also watched a 20 minute fan video in which they “analysed” the entire trailer. They discussed the content of this 2 minute preview and then did a great deal of speculating about potential themes and characters that may feature in the show. They were clearly enthusiastic about what they had seen and were very knowledgeable about the subject. This resonated with me, as I like to be well versed about the things I enjoy. However, it is worth remembering that fandom can tip into obsession and gatekeeping. Hence I feel there is a subject to explore here.
Fantasy, science fiction and similar hybrid genres thrive on world building and lore. These facets give them credibility and breathe life into fictional worlds and people. They also provide parallels with our own lives which provides a means for us to connect to them. Star Wars, despite all the technology, offers a universe that looks used and lived in. Middle-earth is steeped in history and complex societies. Again despite obvious differences there are commonalities in the hierarchies, rituals and personal aspirations of the protagonists. And as well as lore, there are also enigmas. Fantasy and science fiction are often rife with things that are strange and ill defined. Often these are mystical and symbolic. The Force, Tom Bombadil and Jason Voorhees are prime examples of this. Successful fantasy and science fiction find the right balance between detailed lore and enigmatic themes.
Achieving this balance is very difficult. The original Star Wars trilogy handled the arcane and esoteric nature of the Force well. It was broadly defined as an energy field created by all life that connected everything in the universe. However, the specifics of this were vague and nebulous which played well with the concept that the Jedi were more of a religious and philosophical order than a paramilitary organisation. However, when the prequels introduced the concept of Midi-chlorians it somewhat diminished the enigma surrounding the Force and it suddenly just became yet more technobabble. It is interesting to note that this addition to the franchise’s lore was not well received by fans. It was subsequently not alluded to in later films and television shows, indicating that the producers and writers felt it was a mistake.
Another genre example of lore versus enigma is the difference in Klingon anatomy between the original series and the revival shows. The main reason is simple. There wasn’t a budget for complex prosthetics in the sixties show. However, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture onwards, Klingons acquired their forehead ridges as a way to make them more alien. This however left a lore contradiction, which was beautifully alluded to in the episode “Trials and Tribble-ations” of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Several crew members from the 24th century including Worf, find themselves on Deep Space Station K7 in the 23rd century, during the events of “Trouble with Tribbles”. Upon seeing the Klingons from the previous era, one of the crew asks Worf why there’s a physical difference. He enigmatically replies “We do not discuss it with outsiders”. This beautifully vague but droll answer works perfectly. Sadly it was ruined a few years later when an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise explained away the difference as a genetic experiment that went wrong.
However, it is not always an excess of lore that can quash the soul from a popular show or film. Sometimes being deliberately too vague, refusing to expedite the plot and simply replacing one mystery with two others can be very frustrating. It may also be due to the writers being out of their depth or making things up as they go along. Lost encapsulated this for me and the show’s manipulative narrative quickly killed my interest. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like to be spoon fed stories and explanations and I don’t mind thinking when watching. The ending of John Carpenter’s The Thing is enigmatic and quite bleak but I consider it a perfect conclusion to the film. However, perhaps the television show that really stepped over the line for not making any real effort to explain itself and turning the enigma “up to 11” is The Prisoner. It’s still a great show to watch and is very thought provoking but the final episode doesn’t deliver a stone cold conclusion. Something that people who watched it originally still seethe over.
We live in a culture of binge watching TV shows which some viewers dissect and analyse. The interconnected nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a prime example of this and it does it extremely well. But not all television shows and films are like this and do not require such scrutiny. I worry that some viewers are so invested in searching for what they think may be hidden or trying to pre-empt an unfolding narrative, that they miss being in the moment and simply enjoying the show as it happens. Excessive analysis often leads to disappointment. It is important to remember that what you’re watching is a writer(s) thoughts on how a narrative should move forward. They are not obliged to try to make what’s in your or my head. Therefore I see both lore and enigmatic themes as an embellishment to a good fantasy or science fiction show or film. Things to be enjoyed but not the “be-all and end-all” of the production. If either becomes the major focus of either the writers or fans then it will end up undermining the central narrative and themes.
New Phone, New Tariff
Technically, I don’t need a new phone. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G I have already works fine and despite being over 2 years old is still a robust handset. However, my current contract with Vodafone has expired. So I have decided not only to upgrade my phone but to revise my phone tariff. The latter was based upon call and data usage from when I was still working fulltime and reflected how I used my phone back in 2015. Nowadays, I have more incoming calls than outgoing and communicate mainly by text and WhatsApp. I use very little data outside of my home and when I do, I use a lot of the free Wi-Fi coverage that is available locally. Hence I have chosen a new package that suits my phone use and doesn’t come with superfluous trinkets and baubles that I’ll never use.
Technically, I don’t need a new phone. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G I have already works fine and despite being over 2 years old is still a robust handset. However, my current contract with Vodafone has expired. So I have decided not only to upgrade my phone but to revise my phone tariff. The latter was based upon call and data usage from when I was still working fulltime and reflected how I used my phone back in 2015. Nowadays, I have more incoming calls than outgoing and communicate mainly by text and WhatsApp. I use very little data outside of my home and when I do, I use a lot of the free Wi-Fi coverage that is available locally. Hence I have chosen a new package that suits my phone use and doesn’t come with superfluous trinkets and baubles that I’ll never use.
I was paying £52 a month for my previous tariff which came with 5G coverage, 5GB of data and unlimited local calls and texts. I have now managed to cut this down to £24 a month. The data allowance has been reduced to 2GB but as I seldom use this, it makes no difference. I still have the unlimited calls and texts and this tariff is devoid of free subscriptions to Disney + and Spotify. Furthermore, 5G coverage in my local area has improved substantially in the last two years and is still included. I have also broken with my tradition and decided not to get a Samsung handset. I have chosen a Google Pixel 6 mainly out of curiosity. If I find that the handset is not to my liking I can always resume using my old phone and sell the new one. However, from what I’ve read the Google Pixel 6 should suit my needs and not present any major problems.
It is curious how in the space of 15 years, smartphones have gone from functional technology to fashion accessories, as well as an integral part of our daily lives. I must admit, if I do not have my phone with me when I’m out and about, I do feel anxious and “undressed”. It is a similar feeling to when I’m not wearing my watch, although I suspect that may be a generational thing. Overall, I am happy with the new phone tariff I have secured. A saving of this magnitude is beneficial, especially in light of the ongoing cost of living in the UK. If I do find myself returning to the job market later this year, which is a real possibility, then this tariff is sufficiently flexible to accommodate any changes to my call pattern and overall phone usage.
Getting Stuck in Video Games
Before I begin, this post comes with a massive caveat. In fact let’s go so far as to say it is a massive, highly polished and lavishly tooled caveat. There are gamers out there that play video games to challenge themselves and to be the best. Some do it for bragging rights. Others just do it for their own self satisfaction. This is fine. You do you. As long as your gameplay and gaming philosophy doesn’t impact anyone else negatively, then that’s fine. Let me state for the record that I am not that kind of gamer and this post is aimed very much at the average person who plays for entertainment, fun and to unwind. You know, the majority of people who play video games. So any responses to this post that fall into the “git gud” school of thought are irrelevant and can politely “go forth and multiply. Now we have established our frame of reference, let us proceed.
Before I begin, this post comes with a massive caveat. In fact let’s go so far as to say it is a massive, highly polished and lavishly tooled caveat. There are gamers out there that play video games to challenge themselves and to be the best. Some do it for bragging rights. Others just do it for their own self satisfaction. This is fine. You do you. As long as your gameplay and gaming philosophy doesn’t impact anyone else negatively, then that’s fine. Let me state for the record that I am not that kind of gamer and this post is aimed very much at the average person who plays for entertainment, fun and to unwind. You know, the majority of people who play video games. So any responses to this post that fall into the “git gud” school of thought are irrelevant and can politely “go forth and multiply. Now we have established our frame of reference, let us proceed.
Every now and then all of us who play video games to varying degrees, will encounter a task, mission or boss fight in our game of choice that they cannot complete. It may be due to not having the right gear or an unexpected increase in difficulty. And if we are brutally honest with ourselves, it may all come down to our own reactions and lack of dexterity. Whatever the reason, it is never a good thing to encounter. For example, recently while playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (specifically Knights of the Fallen Empire. Chapter XII: Visions in the Dark) I got stuck on a boss fight. The NPC, Vaylin, uses ranged and melee force attacks. You have to avoid ground based AoE attacks and do damage at close quarters, as they have a force bubble that reflects damage. I play a class that does ranged DPs (Smuggler) but this fight is better suited to a Jedi. The story restrictions means there’s no companion present to do healing. So I lost health faster than I could do damage. Hence I died. A lot.
Now this is a classic example of how a “one size fits all” boss fights can leave some classes at a distinct disadvantage. I don’t mind a challenge to a degree and don’t expect things to be continuously tickety-boo in games. However, there comes a point where having to repeat something that you are patently struggling with, ceases to be enjoyable. Due to the way SWTOR is designed, if I couldn’t complete this bossfight, I could not progress any further through the expansion. From a business perspective, this is not a good situation. An unhappy customer is likely to stop playing and paying. I came dangerously close to this. I was frustrated and also annoyed because I take a very transactional approach to gaming. I am not paying to challenge myself and to be the “best I can be”. I am paying to be entertained. I don’t expect to be impeded by a game.
Now I would like to draw your attention to several single player games that I have played that take a very proactive approach to “players getting stuck”. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 politely asks whether you would like to lower the difficulty setting, if you keep getting your butt kicked. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, as well as many other big, action RPGs, has a “Story Mode” which radically dials down the difficulty of the content to allow players to focus on the narrative. Now SWTOR does have three modes of difficulty but sadly it doesn’t seem to be a finely tuned system. Even in the basic story mode, there are several fights throughout the game that are disproportionately hard. They seem to penalise some classes. So perhaps there needs to be more than just a choice of difficulty.
I eventually completed this problematic content in SWTOR. It took 17 attempts. I succeeded mainly by luck and using a medpack and came out the other end with just 7% health. I don’t consider this to be a moral victory and even now, when reflecting upon this experience it antagonises me. Simply put, this is poor game design. Games are a business and I see no merit in pissing off customers and driving them away. I believe the games should track how many times you have failed and adjust accordingly. Offering an optional buff seems the most expedient solution. At the very least the developers could offer the player the option to skip content. Getting stuck in a game is not just bad for the player, it is bad for business. Don’t punish the player. Facilitate the player.
Windows 11
I recently bought a new laptop which shipped with Windows 10 preinstalled. As I use this device mainly for writing and web browsing, I deemed it the perfect test environment for Windows 11. I have very few programs (sorry, I believe we now have to universally refer to them as “apps”, regardless of the platform) installed, there was minimal risk of running into compatibility issues. So I duly installed the free upgrade and to date there’s been no major problems. So far there have been some minor changes associated with contextual menus but nothing that I’d label a deal breaker. I can live with the visual changes and such like. I look forward to experimenting with the installation of Android apps which this version of Windows is supposed to support. Overall, this upgrade has been a success.
I recently bought a new laptop which shipped with Windows 10 preinstalled. As I use this device mainly for writing and web browsing, I deemed it the perfect test environment for Windows 11. I have very few programs (sorry, I believe we now have to universally refer to them as “apps”, regardless of the platform) installed, there was minimal risk of running into compatibility issues. So I duly installed the free upgrade and to date there’s been no major problems. So far there have been some minor changes associated with contextual menus but nothing that I’d label a deal breaker. I can live with the visual changes and such like. I look forward to experimenting with the installation of Android apps which this version of Windows is supposed to support. Overall, this upgrade has been a success.
However, and there always seems to be a however, that was not the case with Mrs P’s new laptop. That model shipped with Windows 11 in S Mode. According to the Microsoft website “Windows 11 in S mode is a version of Windows 11 that's streamlined for security and performance, while providing a familiar Windows experience. To increase security, it allows only apps from the Microsoft Store, and requires Microsoft Edge for safe browsing”. Which explained why I couldn’t install Mozilla Firefox. I suppose I can see the logic of having such a facility, especially for those who are not especially tech savvy. However, for someone like myself who is very particular about how they configure a laptop or desktop PC, this mode was nothing short of infuriating. It requires creating a Microsoft account and changing your settings online to disable this mode. Something else I wasn’t entirely happy about.
From what I’ve learned from some online research, the main differences between Windows 10 and 11 are mainly in advanced features, design and aesthetics. It would appear that the fundamental architecture is the same. A summary of new features and functionality is as follows:
Design and interface
Android app integration
Better virtual desktop support
Easier transition from monitor to laptop
Microsoft Teams added to the Taskbar
Widgets
Enhanced touchscreen, voice and pen support
Xbox tech to improve gaming
As I stated earlier, upgrading my laptop to Windows 11was a calculated risk that paid off with minimal problems. At present my desktop PC in my office is still running Windows 10 and due to the wealth of games and other software that is installed, I am reluctant to upgrade when there is scope for far greater inconvenience if things do not go well. Hence, I shall defer changing operating systems for a while longer, having learned over the years the hard lessons of being an early adopter. At some point I obviously will have to upgrade but by then if there are any “issues” associated with Windows 11, they will hopefully have been rectified. As I’ve stated before, it would be nice if Windows per se had the facility to disable or uninstall the features that you don’t use or need.
Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 2
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.
In my previous post, I posed the question as to whether I’d maintain my enthusiasm for SWTOR for a month and whether the Star Wars “feels” would remain. I’m happy to report that both of these aspects of the game have prevailed. However, that is not to say that I’m not without some criticisms. SWTOR does a shocking job of explaining itself to its players and I habitually have to have a web browser open on my second monitor so I can find out about something mundane. Some of the barter items and reward systems are impenetrable. I may well be sitting on multiple sources of good gear but I am conspicuously ignorant if this is the case. The game also takes liberties with reasonable assumptions that players will naturally make. I had to find a way to shut down a forcefield in one Chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire and the first three power couplings were clearly in the vicinity of the bunker and easy to find. The fourth was obtusely placed a substantial distance away, rather than cunningly hidden. Stuff like that is annoying.
Boss fights are often painfully slow,as I mentioned in a previous post. However, the end fight with Revan at the end of the second expansion, took this to a whole new level. I was simultaneously fascinated and bored by how staggeringly unengaging this climactic fight was. Another beef I have with SWTOR is starting a mission, only to find that it’s gated in some way or dependent on group content. This is frequently the case with Alliance Specialists and Companion Recruitment missions. Some require World Boss trophies and one was gated behind a yearly event. Again this is very annoying and I see no reason why these criteria aren’t clearly flagged in advance. However, I do applaud the game for the sheer number of companions you can access. I like to change mine regularly, depending upon my mood. I am especially fond of Blizz and Gus Tuno. I also appreciate the fact that I no longer have to acquire gear for them.
I have spent some time playing the PVE space missions, where you use your personal ship. I have progressed exactly as far as I did when I last played and have found that the same problems thwart my progress. Sadly my reactions are too slow in specific missions and I collide with too many objects, which is frustrating because I quite enjoy these “on rails” space battles. I haven’t yet looked into Galactic Starfighter although I intend to give it a go. PVP is not usually my thing but I just want to see how equitable they make this aspect of SWTOR. Will a new player be grouped with players of a similar ability or will we just get “thrown to the Wolves”? We shall see. At the very least it will provide me with material for another blog post. Overall, I am pleased that SWTOR has managed to keep me engaged. That’s mainly down to the well written stories and interesting characters. And it must be said that this MMO has one of the best soundtracks in the genre. It certainly has kept those Star Wars “feels” coming.
What are You Doing and Where are You Going?
The title for this post is a quote from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve used it as a verbal cue to try and give readers an overview of the point I’m striving to convey. Because I want to talk about modern life in western civilization, specifically its complexity and increasing uncertainty. If you’re extremely wealthy you can mitigate these two points but I’m working on the premise that most of the people who read Contains Moderate Peril are not. The blogging community, of which I am a participant, is a diverse group but from what I’ve observed it’s not populated by millionaires. In fact most of the people I know, both online and in person, are just holding down a job, trying to keep a roof over their head and pay the bills. Often they’re doing the job they do in default of anything else and they’re at the very least ambivalent towards it. The pandemic has also brought home how fragile so-called “normality” is. Modern politics are also volatile and life in general just doesn’t seem as certain as it was twenty years ago.
The title for this post is a quote from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve used it as a verbal cue to try and give readers an overview of the point I’m striving to convey. Because I want to talk about modern life in western civilization, specifically its complexity and increasing uncertainty. If you’re extremely wealthy you can mitigate these two points but I’m working on the premise that most of the people who read Contains Moderate Peril are not. The blogging community, of which I am a participant, is a diverse group but from what I’ve observed it’s not populated by millionaires. In fact most of the people I know, both online and in person, are just holding down a job, trying to keep a roof over their head and pay the bills. Often they’re doing the job they do in default of anything else and they’re at the very least ambivalent towards it. The pandemic has also brought home how fragile so-called “normality” is. Modern politics are also volatile and life in general just doesn’t seem as certain as it was twenty years ago.
We all approach life and deal with its respective slings and arrows in our own way. I am of an age where I was culturally indoctrinated to have a plan. They were very popular in the seventies and eighties. Everyone seemed to have one. Paul Simon, Leonid Brezhnev, Baldrick to name but a few. As a child, the plan that my parents had for me was pretty much the standard one from that era. Go to school and get an education and good qualifications. Find a suitable career. If you’re not sure about a career, then get a good intermediary job. Find a suitable partner and get married. Buy a home, have children and try to improve your lot in life. It was pretty much the white, middle class equivalent of the Xenomorph’s life cycle from Alien. By and large I broadly tried to follow this strategy but I found that reality constantly got in the way and tried to obstruct both me and everyone else who was trying to navigate life’s choppy waters.
So here I am at the age of 54. Life has changed for both my family and me a lot in the last eight years in ways that I never really imagined. This is documented in other posts so I won’t cover old ground here. Returning to the title of this piece, I find myself at a time in my life where I am considering “what am I doing and where and I going?”, so to speak. There are many reasons why we all get philosophically introspective at times. Society expects us to have an orderly trajectory to our lives, passing certain milestones along the way. However, many of these expectations are unrealistic and unattainable, so we then devote an excess of our time and energy examining our perceived failures. It is hardly a recipe for personal happiness and contentment. The information age has also opened our eyes to the reality of our relationship with the government. The various social contracts that are supposed to exist between citizens and state are all broken. Working hard does not necessarily pay off, neither does “doing the right thing”.
It is therefore not unusual to wish for a fairer and stable world. A world where opportunities exist for all, a job pays sufficient to keep a roof over your head and there is equality before the law. Sadly, that is not the case. Here in the UK the political system is broken and taken advantage of. It’s binary nature and tribal culture often means people vote for what they believe is the least worst of two “evils”. Hence people end up directly and indirectly voting at times against their own interests. At present we have a politically and intellectually weak government who are greedy, petty and dangerous. We are isolated internationally during the midst of the biggest geopolitical problem since World War II. The immediate future for the UK is not good politically, economically or socially. It is more upsetting knowing that some of these problems we inflicted upon ourselves.
So returning to the original question of “what are you doing and where are you going?” I have a major decision ahead of me this year. My caring commitments will be coming to an end in April and I have to determine whether I shall be returning to the job market, or whether my personal finances will allow me to officially retire. I suspect that the latter may not be possible and the prospect of the modern work environment doesn’t fill me with joy. My long term plan is to move out of London and attempt to keep the world’s problems at arms length. I just want to live out the remainder of my days in as much peace and quiet as possible. However, that seems more and more like an aspiration rather than a definitive plan, especially if I am reliant upon a job. It seems like no one can escape uncertainty these days. Being free from worry seems to be becoming a prerogative exclusive to the rich. It would be nice to end this post on a positive note but I cannot think of one.
Upgrade Culture
Prior to her retirement in 2014, Mrs P bought a HP laptop (HP 15-g094sa). The model was chosen based upon her needs and budget. The fact that it was purple was also a contributory factor. This laptop came with Windows 8 installed and over the years has been upgraded to Windows 10. Being an older model it has a HDD rather than a SSD. However, given what it is used for, IE emails and online shopping and nothing else, it has always been able to cope with the task in hand. 8 years later the specifications should still be adequate to do these specific things (AMD Quad-Core A8-6410 APU). Sadly, the continued growth of Windows 10 has meant that the operating system has gotten bigger and more bloated with features. Hence this laptop struggles with updates, often spending 30 minutes or more each time it’s turned on, which is possibly only once a week. Overall, it is no longer the useful and convenient tool that it was when bought.
Prior to her retirement in 2014, Mrs P bought a HP laptop (HP 15-g094sa). The model was chosen based upon her needs and budget. The fact that it was purple was also a contributory factor. This laptop came with Windows 8 installed and over the years has been upgraded to Windows 10. Being an older model it has a HDD rather than a SSD. However, given what it is used for, IE emails and online shopping and nothing else, it has always been able to cope with the task in hand. 8 years later the specifications should still be adequate to do these specific things (AMD Quad-Core A8-6410 APU). Sadly, the continued growth of Windows 10 has meant that the operating system has gotten bigger and more bloated with features. Hence this laptop struggles with updates, often spending 30 minutes or more each time it’s turned on, which is possibly only once a week. Overall, it is no longer the useful and convenient tool that it was when bought.
Recently, Google sent an email regarding it ceasing support for older email clients that don’t conform to the latest security protocols. Mrs P’s laptop has an installation of Microsoft Office 2010 and Outlook will no longer be able to download directly from her gmail account in May. Combined with the performance issues caused by the ever increasing heft of Windows 10, I recommended that the laptop was replaced and Office 365 installed. To cut a long story short a new HP laptop has been purchased (HP 14s-dq2019na). This new model based on an Intel Core i3 processor is more than adequately specified to run Windows 10 and I will probably take the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 11. However, this costly undertaking, which also comes with a requirement to migrate data, has purely been driven by Microsoft and Google. Considering what the laptop is used for, the original specifications of the first model should still be adequate. This is all down to upgrade culture.
Upgrade culture seems to be driven by several factors. The ever growing software which reduces performance in return for superfluous functionality. The myth that anything new is by default superior, despite the fact that in the mobile phone and tablet market we’ve seen a slow down in significant performance increases between new hardware releases. And then there’s the “accessorisation” of technology. Tech is no longer just functional, it’s fashionable, aspirational and inspirational, as well as other bullshit marketing terms. Apparently, I’m due a mobile phone upgrade roundabout now. There’s nothing wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G that I currently own. I’ve had this since December 2019 and the phone is in good condition and performs just as well as it did back then. Anything new will simply have a fancier camera, although I dispute claims that I need better than I have already. Other sellings points will more than likely be gimmicks or that is how I perceive them. A screen that folds is not essential for me.
I am aware that I could install an alternative operating system on Mrs P’s laptop and it would potentially run as good as it did back in 2014 but that is not ideal for someone who is not especially confident with tech per se. Ultimately, we’re fortunate to be in the position to afford a replacement laptop although it is somewhat galling when one considers that the requirement to upgrade has been forced upon the user for “questionable” reasons. If Microsoft and other companies insist upon expanding the functionality of their software, it would be nice to be able to selectively remove the “stuff” you don’t want. Especially if it has an impact upon your systems performance. But I suppose that a free product such as Windows is not going to allow that sort of control and empowerment to be available to customers. It would impact hardware sales and upset an established business model. So we continue to upgrade continuously, while our obsolete tech piles up, awaiting recycling. The phrase “unsustainable” comes to mind for some reason.
Thanks Google Page Experience Update For Desktop
Last Tuesday, I noticed a drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. As I’m currently only writing every other day, I assumed that it is normal to have occasions when visits to the site may decrease. However the decline has persisted and to date, works out broadly as a 20% reduction of traffic to my blog. At present, I have a lot going on in my life so blogging and website growth are not my highest priorities. However, I am a firm believer in cause and effect and so a situation like this must be down due to other external factors, rather than just the capricious nature of my readership. So I searched online to see if Google had made any changes and I subsequently found that they had rolled out an algorithm update starting on Tuesday 22nd February 2022. Apparently Google Page Experience Update For Desktop “is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences. Page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account. Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes”. I beg to differ.
Last Tuesday, I noticed a drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. As I’m currently only writing every other day, I assumed that it is normal to have occasions when visits to the site may decrease. However the decline has persisted and to date, works out broadly as a 20% reduction of traffic to my blog. At present, I have a lot going on in my life so blogging and website growth are not my highest priorities. However, I am a firm believer in cause and effect and so a situation like this must be down due to other external factors, rather than just the capricious nature of my readership. So I searched online to see if Google had made any changes and I subsequently found that they had rolled out an algorithm update starting on Tuesday 22nd February 2022. Apparently Google Page Experience Update For Desktop “is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences. Page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account. Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes”. I beg to differ.
Please feel free to search about Google Page Experience Update For Desktop and to read exactly what it’s supposed to do and how it “works”. I have and it is simply beyond my skill set to fully comprehend it. From what I can ascertain it’s supposed to ensure that the best content continues to appear in search results, which is the usual corporate mantra. My real concern is whether it’s fair and if the system can be manipulated. Will smaller content creators be able to equitably compete with the big players. Well, it looks like the answer is “no”. I am not the only person to see a drop in traffic. I have found several posts over at SEO subreddit and they squarely point the finger at Google for this change. There also seems to be growing concern over Google’s continued push for standardised criteria governing content creation. If your site doesn’t entirely comply with these it will have difficulty being found. Sadly, a poorer quality site that is compliant, will rank higher in search results.
Statistics are not the defining reason why I and many other people write online. But let us not be coy. Finding an audience is important and you cannot do that if your website is not visible. However, whether anyone finds Contains Moderate Peril ultimately is a matter out of my hands. I could slavishly follow the prevailing content writing styles and SEO trends in an attempt to “game the system”. However, I like to write in the same manner in which I express myself in real life. Having to conform to a specific regulated standard to reach a broader readership is a double edged sword. You may gain accessibility but at the expense of nuance, maturity and character. Personal blogs are often not just about the content but the content creator as well. However, all of this is academic while we deal with the reality of Google Page Experience Update For Desktop. Perhaps it is naïve to expect an equitable process and a level playing field from a corporate entity such as Google.
Playing MMOs Solo
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
It’s just me versus Middle-earth
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
Hence the primary reason I play MMOs solo is simply to be able to progress at my own pace and not having to be dependent on others in any other way, shape or form. The advantages are obvious, as are the disadvantages. I may well be able to clear through PVE content, level efficiently and manage my gear progression, but I also miss a substantial part of the game. I haven’t participated in any major group content in LOTRO for over a decade. The last raid I did was Draigoch’s Lair in 2011. But that is the price you pay for solo gameplay. By playing on my own I get to use my time efficiently. Raiding is a long, drawn out process that doesn’t come with any guarantees. It is this aspect of MMOs that bothers me. If I invest my time into something, I want to walk away with some sort of reward. Raids do not always hand out loot in an equitable fashion. Playing through PVE content on your own gives you clear and achievable goals.
“Can you tell me where Bagel Street is?”
At present I play four MMOs. In LOTRO I have been in the same guild (or Kinship as it’s known in this game) since 2009. I know many of the other members and it is still active but certainly not to the degree it was a decade ago. In Star Trek Online I have my various alts in the respective Reddit based Fleets (guilds) such as Reddit Alert. I will chat with other members but I don't really know anyone nor ever group with them to play through content. I am in the Fleet simply for the benefits of accessing Fleet resources. which are mainly gear based in STO. With regard to Star Wars The Old Republic, I am in a guild which I created myself. This was mainly to stop me from getting swamped by guild invites from other players when the game first launched. It has two active members, myself and podcast co-host Brian. Beyond having a novelty name (Shaved Wookies) it serves no purpose. Due to my intermittent playing of The Elder Scrolls Online I see no reason to join a guild in that game.
The most social interaction I have in an MMORPG at present is in STO. Task Force Operations are five man missions which last between 5 and 15 minutes depending on the ability of the group. When selecting the TFO of your choice you are then auto-grouped and ported immediately to the appropriate instance. More often than not there is no communication between players in Team Chat. Sometimes players will deliberately go AFK and wait just to get the TFO reward. Every now and then someone will say “hi” to the group. On other occasions someone will try and give instructions but that seldom goes well. But such is the state of solo gameplay in most MMOs. You only talk and group with people if you want to and if there’s no compelling reason, then you don’t. Any game where your progress is dependent upon others is a game that I’ll more than likely not play.
The King's Man (2021)
As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man. Based on the Comic Book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. 20th Century Studios
Matthew Vaughn’s The King’s Man is an inconsistent film, both narratively and tonally. It veers between serious themes and stylised, hyperbolic action. At times it does quite a good job of exploring such complex subjects as global politics, mechanised warfare and colonialism. Sadly it then wrenches the viewer out of these cerebral reveries as it lapses into the sort of over the top action sequences that were notable in the two earlier films. It’s a shame because The King’s Man gets so many other aspects of the production right. The casting is very interesting, especially Ralph Fiennes as the “pacifist” Duke of Oxford. He is actually a very good fit for the action genre. Djimon Hounsou and Gemma Arterton are given little backstory beyond being respectively the faithful manservant and the family nanny but both are notable due to their own inherent acting chops and personal charisma. Rhys Ifans obviously has a great time as Grigori Rasputin, ensuring all the man’s vices are robustly depicted.
As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man. Based on the Comic Book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. 20th Century Studios
Matthew Vaughn’s The King’s Man is an inconsistent film, both narratively and tonally. It veers between serious themes and stylised, hyperbolic action. At times it does quite a good job of exploring such complex subjects as global politics, mechanised warfare and colonialism. Sadly it then wrenches the viewer out of these cerebral reveries as it lapses into the sort of over the top action sequences that were notable in the two earlier films. It’s a shame because The King’s Man gets so many other aspects of the production right. The casting is very interesting, especially Ralph Fiennes as the “pacifist” Duke of Oxford. He is actually a very good fit for the action genre. Djimon Hounsou and Gemma Arterton are given little backstory beyond being respectively the faithful manservant and the family nanny but both are notable due to their own inherent acting chops and personal charisma. Rhys Ifans obviously has a great time as Grigori Rasputin, ensuring all the man’s vices are robustly depicted.
The problem lies with The King’s Man essentially trying to do too much and cover too much ground in its 130 minute running time. First it’s a father-son film and then it’s a revisionist history drama like Trantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Then it hastily tries to establish the backstory of the Kingsman Independent Intelligence Service. As a result director Matthew Vaughn struggles to maintain a consistent style and tone. He does provide some creative flourishes especially with the subplot relating to Conrad Oxford, the Duke’s son who wishes to serve his country and play his part in World War I. There is a sense of impending doom as Conrad (Harris Dickinson) heads towards an inevitable personal tragedy but the way it manifests itself is quite a surprise. This culminates in a genuinely moving scene at the end of the film’s second act. However, it is quickly mitigated by the directors interpretation of historical events and choosing to depict the tragedy and slaughter of WW I as a petty squabble between an international family.
The King’s Man is certainly a better film than its predecessor; Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). That was a poorly conceived project, ruined by the presence of Eltom John and the mean spirited way in which Merlin (Mark Strong) was so ignominiously killed off. Although Matthew Vaughn is clearly a creative film director who has a natural affinity to genre source material, he does strike me as someone who would be well served by a trusted associate who knows him well enough to curb his excesses. Both previous films in this series were blighted by some singularly unpalatable and obsolete sexual humour that would be more at home in a seventies “eroitic adventure” such as Confessions of a Window Cleaner. This error is not repeated in The King’s Man but instead Vaughn often comes a little too close to trivialising the human tragedy of WWI. There’s also a mid-credit coda that is very ill judged, especially in light of more recent events. Watch with discretion and be prepared to “hold your nose” if you are overly politically sensitive. The action is good.
Combat in Video Games: How Long is Too Long?
Many video games involve some sort of combat. It is a quintessential mechanic. The moral and ethical rectitude of this is a subject for another blog post and is not something I wish to discuss here. This post is about combat itself and specifically the amount of time that you have to spend to defeat an enemy. It may sound a somewhat trivial point but it becomes quite an important issue once you start playing a game for any length of time. Like many game mechanics, it often comes down to a matter of personal taste? Which then makes it a difficult matter to find the right balance from a game development point of view. If you make combat too brief, players will say it trivialises the game and diminishes the sense of challenge. Make combat too long and you’ll run the risk of boring your playerbase and driving them away. This is very much a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.
Many video games involve some sort of combat. It is a quintessential mechanic. The moral and ethical rectitude of this is a subject for another blog post and is not something I wish to discuss here. This post is about combat itself and specifically the amount of time that you have to spend to defeat an enemy. It may sound a somewhat trivial point but it becomes quite an important issue once you start playing a game for any length of time. Like many game mechanics, it often comes down to a matter of personal taste? Which then makes it a difficult matter to find the right balance from a game development point of view. If you make combat too brief, players will say it trivialises the game and diminishes the sense of challenge. Make combat too long and you’ll run the risk of boring your playerbase and driving them away. This is very much a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.
Perhaps an example would be useful. I was recently playing Star Wars: The Old Republic and had to fight the final boss in a Flashpoint. They were a Mandalorian and the combat took place in an arena with a panelled floor. During the fight the floor would open to reveal flames. A droid would occasionally appear with a grappling hook and drag my character towards it, exposing them to further fire damage. Because I was tackling this Flashpoint solo, I had a combat droid that tanked for me. Hence I would stand on the periphery of the action, doing ranged DPS while my Companion healed. I would have to destroy the droid when it spawned and ensure I avoided fire damage. This was a manageable process. However, it took a while to take down the boss. Most of the fight consisted of slowing watching their health bar decrease. It took over 5 minutes to complete and became tedious very quickly.
This highlights my point well. I appreciate that if developers accurately depicted the use of blaster weapons and lightsabers, then most fights would be a succession of one shot kills. Hence accurately depicting such weapons has to be tempered with a sensible reduction in damage to make the fights more challenging. Plus one has to remember that SWTOR is over a decade old and therefore its combat style is based upon the prevailing combat style of that time. There’s a lot of skills bloat, tab targeting and static combat. However, bearing all this in mind, a five minute boss fight or indeed any sort of fight of that duration as a single player activity is excessively long. Especially in light of the fact that I wasn’t in any major danger of failing. The main point of contention was simply the time it took to do damage. Watching a health meter go down slowly is not fun. Neither are ponderous combat mechanics or dealing with bullet sponges.
The main reason I stopped playing The Secret World was due to the tiresome combat mechanics, especially when using firearms. My objections hinged upon the time that it took to kill an enemy. In more contemporary games, such as The Elder Scrolls Online, combat is faster and critical chance and severity seem to play a more equitable role in proceedings. Boss fights tend to be faster paced. You have to be more mobile and cognisant of the damage that you’re taking. However, the combination of the right skills and a healthy dose of critical success means that the overall combat experience is more satisfying without being unnecessarily protracted. There’s a fine line between managing a fight and finding success and just endless plodding through a rotation of skills and then healing, like some uninspired line dance. Again I must reiterate that this is a very subjective experience. What I consider to be too long for me, may not be so for you.
I have adjusted my build after reaching level 70 in SWTOR and I may run the very same Flashpoint again to see if combat is any quicker with increased stats. I suspect that the downscaling mechanics in the game means that the fight will still drag on regardless. Which then raises the question as to whether I want to continue playing because combat is a substantial part of gameplay. If fighting through waves of mobs becomes a dull chore, it does somewhat mitigate the point of playing, which is supposed to be a fun activity. I appreciate that combat should not be a walk in the park and that skill and being situationally aware should all play a part. But slowly wearing down a DPS sponge is not the same thing. I want to be moderately challenged, not bored. Finding the correct pace of combat is a challenge and I wish I knew what the answer was. Sadly many developers don’t seem to know either.